Flaky in the Dreamscape
by Kalgante
Summary: dreams have always been a mystery, yet we all have them, dreams can be both wonderful and horrible. Flaky however will learn just how terrifying and glorious a dream can be when they are no longer her own. and learn more about her friends than ever.
1. Dream Machine

[here I am starting up another story. I've even got another one planned for later. Anyway, enjoy!]

"_Flaky hurry down to my place, I've got something I want to show everyone"_

"_What is it?"_

"_It's a surprise, you'll see when you get here"_

Everyone stood around a sheet covered mass in Sniffles's lab. The anteater stood before it looking proud as he absorbed the attention he was getting from the others, or at least what he felt he was getting. As they waited the group discussed amongst themselves what might be under the sheet until the final two, a blue moose and purple mole in a turtle neck shirt finally arrived. The anteater looked towards them and a smile formed at the end of his snout.

"Welcome all of you to the next generation of science. As you know when we sleep we are visited by wondrous dreams and horrific nightmares, but the mystery remains. What is a dream, what is a nightmare. Some say dreams are meant to tell you things and solve problems. Others claim that they are simply our brains flushing out un necessary information. I Sniffles, have been working on a machine that can solve that mystery. Behold the dream reader 6000!" the anteater explained as he pulled the sheet off of the machine.

The machine appeared as a large metal box with screens and do dads protruding from the sides. At one end of it however was a small, single person bed with some type of shower cap with lights around it laying on the pillow. Some of the more simple of the tree friends stared in awe at it while some of the others seemed only vaguely interested in it. The red porcupine however appeared cautious of it.

"This machine allows us to physically record dreams by reading brainwave patterns and calculating the images it reads. We may then view them on these monitors. By doing this in a laboratory setting scientist will be able to experiment and determine what a dream really is. Now then, for one final test before I can market this I will need a volunteer" Sniffles explained.

There was a bit of chatter amongst the crowd as you would expect before a yellow rabbit stepped forward.

"I'll volunteer" he said with a confident stride up to the bed.

"Hmm… I don't know Cuddles… you seem pretty energetic today. Maybe someone else" said Sniffles.

"Well what about you Flaky? You're look'n pretty bushed" said Cuddles.

"Wha- what? M-me?" the red porcupine asked.

"Yea, why not?" Cuddles asked.

"U-umm… well…" Flaky replied before an orange beaver butted in.

"Would someone just do this already so we can go?" he asked annoyed.

"Don't be so pushy Handy" said a purple beaver.

"Who cares about all this techno crap, I know I don't" said Handy.

"Come on Flaky it'll be cool" said Cuddles who had taken her by the arm and began escorting her to the machine.

Flaky didn't know weather to follow him or pull away as she was reluctantly pulled forward by the over eager rabbit. Before she knew it she had been laid down onto the bed and had the strange shower cap looking thing secured around her head. Sniffles shook with excitement as he activated a code in the computer. Flaky suddenly felt herself feeling woozy as she heard a soft humming sound being sent straight into her mind. The porcupine's eyes shut as she drifted off to sleep. The surrounding tree friends watched the screen waiting for an image to appear. Things would not be so simple however as a disconnected cable revealed its self. Sniffles immediately entered a panic as the machine began shaking violently. The onlookers scrambled around Sniffles lab in a panic as the machine malfunctioned further.

The commotion however woke Flaky who felt severely dizzy as her body convulsed on the bed. She began breathing heavily with a panic attack of her own but no scream would surface. Colors flashed in her eyes like a strobe light as her gaze shifted across the room. She heard the sound of shattering glass as the screens shattered and a moment later came a defining blast, then blackness.

Flaky found herself on a battlefield , corpses all around her, a quick flash and she was sitting in the audience at a concert. Another flash brought her to an empty museum, then to a grave yard before she was shaken into consciousness.

"Flaky, Flaky get up!" shouted a voice.

Flaky opened her eyes to the face of the same yellow rabbit who dragged her into that machine. With a shriek of terror she shoved the rabbit off of her landing him onto his rear. Flaky sat up glancing around at everyone and breathed heavily as she wrapped herself in her arms.

"Flaky, what's wrong?" Flippy asked.

She looked up at him and suddenly felt sick to her stomach, she leaned over onto her hands and knees and vomited onto the floor several times. She rolled back over and sat down as Flippy handed her a rag from his jacket. She reached her hand up to grab it but it fell limp to her side. Flippy took the courtesy of wiping her mouth for her

"Come on, let's get you home" said Flippy as he and cuddles hoisted her over their shoulders.

Flaky was brought home and tucked into bed by Cuddles and Flippy and the two made their way out of the house.

"That was screwed up huh?" Cuddles asked.

"Y-yea" said Flippy.

"Something the matter?" Cuddles asked.

"Nah, it's probably nothing" said Flippy recalling a brief image from being knocked out.

"If you say so" said Cuddles as the two made their ways home.

[and that's it for now, R&R, see ya!]


	2. World Beyond Reality

[Here's chapter 2, time to get started. I'm finding this story very fun to write, I hope it shows, anyway read on and let me know what you think]

The day continued on for everyone as it normally would, the regular instances of death and dismemberment all around town. Night however was a bit different now. Flaky laid asleep still beat from today's ordeal. She had awoken only once to get a glass of water. At that time it was about eleven. Afterwards she returned to sleep and was met with vivid images.

She found herself in a factory of some sort, only it was very vibrantly colored. She could feel the cold of the floor on her feet and hear the sounds of the machinery working. along the conveyor belt road and endless stream of candy with a number of workers tending it. She glanced around the environment in confusion, the last thing she remembered was being tucked safely in bed, how did she wind up here? She moved along the factory floor, the workers didn't seem to pay her much mind. Flaky approach one to ask them some questions.

"Umm… excuse me but umm… what is this place?" Flaky asked.

The worker looked over to her.

"This is the candy factory, this is where all the candy in the world comes from" said the worker.

Flaky looked confused by this response.

"Umm… do you happen to know when I showed up?" Flaky asked.

The worker had no answer for that and returned to their work. Flaky decided to leave the worker and continue on cautiously. The factory was huge but she had no wish to explore it, she just wanted to get out. She continued walking until she came across a set of stairs which she climbed to an upper balcony. There were a few more workers up there which Flaky ignored as she looked for an exit. She began walking along the balcony until she came across a familiar face.

"Nutty?" Flaky asked.

The figure was a green squirrel with candy all over his face and dressed in a blue business suit.

"Hey Flaky, I thought you came by, what's up?" Nutty asked.

"Umm… where am I?" Flaky asked.

"Silly Flaky, you really don't know? This is the candy factory, where do you think you get all your candy?" Nutty asked.

This response still confused Flaky.

"One of the workers told me that too… but… aren't there other factories?" Flaky asked.

"Why would there be? It all comes from here. come on, let me give you the tour" said Nutty.

Flaky followed Nutty along the balcony passing by workers who adored him as he passed by. They eventually reached an elevator at the end and Nutty pressed a button to call it. It opened up immediately afterwards. And the two entered. Nutty pressed a button and it rose up until stopping again. The door opened to a large penthouse with an interior that took the baffled Flaky even further by surprise. The factory floor had streams of candy moving along the conveyor belts but this room seemed to be made entirely of candy. Nutty began his laugh and hurried in taking a bite of a chocolate bar tabletop. The bite mark immediately filled in almost magically with more chocolate, flaky couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Come on in Flaky, don't be shy find something to eat" said Nutty.

Flaky walked slowly into the room looking around carefully afraid at any moment the candy supports would give out. Nothing happened however.

"Here Flaky, try this" said Nutty standing beside a fountain.

it's water was thick and colorful unlike anything the porcupine had ever seen. She approached it slowly and looked to the squirrel.

"Just stick your hand in it then lick it of" said Nutty doing what he told Flaky to do.

Flaky looked at it cautiously and extended a shaking finger into the strange substance. She retracted her had and looked at the colorful dab on her finger then back to Nutty who was pigging out on it. She looked back at her finger and licked some fit off. To her surprise it was good, really good. It was thick and sweet almost as if she were drinking candy. She stuck her finger tips in and licked them clean repeating this process numerous times.

"This is the best room in the factory, and it's mine!" said Nutty.

Flaky stared around in wonder at this place but she was still bothered as to how she got here.

"Umm… Nutty… can I ask you something?" Flaky asked.

"Ask me anything" Nutty said.

"Well… it's weird but umm… I'm not quite sure how I ended up here. I was sleeping… I remember that… but then I was awake and standing in the factory" Flaky explained.

"I don't know… hey, let me show you something, come on" coaxed Nutty.

Flaky began to grow worried, it almost seemed like nobody knew how she ended up here. She followed the squirrel out through a door which led to a balcony overlooking a vibrantly colored landscape.

"Check it out Flaky. This is the best place could ever have imagined to build my candy franchise" said Nutty pointing out over the horizon.

Flaky looked down and was immediately griped with fear. She was far higher up from the ground than she thought. She backed up away from the edge as Nutty moved closer to it. He took a deep breath of air when the balcony suddenly cracked beneath his feet. Flaky gasped in horror as the squirrel fell through the floor and grabbed tightly to the edge. His face gripped with fear. He reached out towards Flaky begging her to help him but his voice seemed to grow quiet and weak. This surprised Flaky but she grabbed hold of a nearby chair and held it out to him to grab onto. It didn't have nearly enough reach however so she laid down slowly and inched herself over to the squirrel. He reached for it desperately but the chair was still out of reach and before Flaky could get close enough Nutty's grim gave out and he plummeted to the ground below. The world suddenly began to distort and twist as colors flashed, darkened, and faded. The balcony disappeared beneath Flaky and she began falling through the air until she was shrouded in black. Her head was suddenly stricken with severe pain and she felt sick to her stomach. She shut her eyes and teared before light suddenly illuminated her.

Flaky found herself at the stage again. She sat front and center surrounded by numerous cheering fans. Flaky was profoundly confused at this. She was just at some factory, now she's here. She remembered this from earlier today however, this time there was actually a show being preformed on stage. Flaky was surprised to see that it was Giggles on stage singing. Flaky never thought of Giggles as a singer but she didn't know what to think of anything right now. Flaky looked around and noticed someone standing beside the stage in the shadows. It looked like a blue skunk, Petunia?" Flaky didn't see her for long before the concert ended and the crows surrounding Flaky rushed up to the stage cheering loudly. Flaky however sat in place as the stands cleared. Flaky looked to Giggles but couldn't see her behind all the people. She looked back down beside the stage and Petunia was gone. Flaky looked behind herself and noticed an opening at the top of the grandstands. An exit? Flaky just wanted to leave and get back home. She stood up and walked out of her row then made her way up the stairs. Suddenly stands began to distort just as they did at the factory. Flaky looked back to the stage as the crowd began to burst and disappear. Another extreme surge of pain made it's way into her head and she shut her eyes again. After a violent whirling she was illuminated in light yet again.

This time Flaky was on a farm. It was large with a couple of red buildings here and there. All around the farm were large, green, open fields. This place was somehow familiar to her and not in a good way. This was not the first time she had been to this place, yet she had never actually set foot there. She recognized this place as a stage for her relentless nightmare. Flaky peered around the farm but felt her eyes fall onto an all too familiar barn, she felt compelled to enter it, but this time was different, she could sense everything perfectly, was she really here? She had seen this place plenty of times before but it had never been so clear. Flaky dreaded the decision she was about to make but chose to enter the barn. After crossing the small distance between her and the structure she opened the door and made her way inside.

The barn was empty aside from a couple hay bales and empty stalls. She slowly made her way across the soft floor until she found herself in the center of the barn. She looked down to the floor and noticed something, a small fluffy down feather from a bird, but not just any bird. Flaky reached down with a shaky paw and lifted it to her face. As she stared, examining the feather she heard it. A small cheep from behind caught her attention. She turned quickly to see it bus saw nothing. She turned back around slowly and there it stood, a little yellow chick staring up at her, it's beady eyes blinking as it cheeped again. Flaky dropped the feather and back away as another sheep could be heard from behind. she turned her head to see it staring up at her. She turned her head back around to see two more chicks standing there. Behind her appeared several more. When she looked ahead of herself again there appeared a couple dozen until she was surrounded by hundreds of chicks both on the balconies above her and on the floor all around her. Flaky screamed in horror at the horde just before each and every one lunged at her rending the flesh from her bones. The pain was unbearable yet she didn't have the fortune to black out. This was it, it had finally happened, her nightmares had come to life and she was being eaten alive by a horde of ravenous chicks. Flaky begged for it to end and closed her eyes before they were ripped out of her skull and her brain began being devoured. With a final scream and sitting up in a puddle of her own urine, it was over.

[Jeeze Flaky, control yourself. What'd ya think folks? chapters will likely get longer beyond this point. This story's gonna be very fun to write so I hope you all like it, R&R. see ya!]


	3. Where Are You All?

[Heeey all. I know I haven't been updating stories super fast, I've been doing a lot of drawing lately. Anyway I have a ton of chapters started for my stories so you can probably expect something from any of them some time soon, especially this one. Anyway take care of your reading business and enjoy]

Flaky stuffed her balled up bedding into the washing machine and started it up. It had been a while since she last wet the bed and was mentally beating herself up over it, fortunately she was the only one who knew about it and it would stay that way. Flaky followed up by making her way to the bathroom to shower. She was still shaking from that dream. She turned on the water and began to wash herself. The feel of the warm water through her fur and quills was relaxing and she began to calm down. With her thoughts becoming fresh again her mind shifted from thoughts of the farm dream to the others she had had last night.

The concert ran through her mind first she could remember it so vividly, even recalling the feel of the seat cushion beneath her and the cold concrete floor against her feet. She could even recall the music playing crisp and clear, almost as if she had just been to an actual concert.

The next was the candy factory which was much longer again it was vivid and she remembered early all of it perfectly from the floor beneath her feet to the sweet flavor of the candy fountain, even the warmth on her paw after sticking her hand into it. The memory of Nutty plummeting to his doom caught Flaky off guard and shook her. She stopped washing herself and leaned against the wall of the shower. Though it wasn't the first time she had watched someone die in a dream, this affected her almost as profoundly as if it had actually happened.

"It's ok Flaky, it was just a dream, no one is dead" said Flaky to herself.

She scrubbed herself with a scrunchy and doused herself in shampoo for her quills. She finished rinsing off and stepped out of the shower to dry off. Afterwards she brushed her teeth and prepared for the day ahead. She chose to stay home for breakfast, a simple bowl of wheat cereal with a little sugar was plenty to satisfy her. When she finished she washed her dishes, put them away, then made her way to the washer. She removed her bedding, smelling it just in case. Then placed them into the dryer and hummed to herself and read a magazine while waiting for them to finish drying. Afterwards she returned her things to her bed which she had scrubbed vigorously after waking up and covered it with her bedding. when she finished she stared at it for a moment briefly recalling last night's dreams then made her way down stairs and outside to begin her day. Things seemed relatively quiet and peaceful today, something Flaky thoroughly enjoyed. She watched a butterfly flutter past her and she was careful so that it wouldn't land on her, but it did serve to compliment the day.

Flaky continued on into town, the silence still lingering in the air. She made her way into the park hoping to see if Cuddles and Toothy were playing Frisbee or something of the like. She looked out onto the lawns but seen nobody which disappointed her a bit. Still, it left her free to enjoy this oddly good day. She made her way to the center of the park and sat down beside the fountain cheerfully. She leaned back and rested her arms on the back of the stone bench and brushed her hand through the cool water. She turned herself around and sighed a happy sigh. She stared at her reflection in the water and waved to it with a laugh. Her face was stricken with surprise as she recalled a coin purse tied to her quills. She reached behind herself into her numerous lengthy quills to find it. She untied the pouch and pulled out a coin, she closed her eyes and made a wish, one to make every day nice like this. She did this often when she was happy, always with hope that it would come true. Although it never did. At least she would be hopeful all day. She smiled and left the fountain, again breathing in the fresh air.

She made her way out of the park and towards the town's book store called "The Reading Den" it's current of several names. Flaky glanced through the window to see what she was after, a comic by the title of "Baxter Roe" a recent one that she had been keeping up with for a while. She made her way to the door and opened it. There was nobody inside however. She stood around for a moment and looked around the room. Everything looked normal she turned her head back to the sign on the glass door. The side she was reading said closed so the side facing outside had to say open. She moved further into the store but seen nothing out of the ordinary. She made her way to the counter and peered around seeing nobody.

"Hello?" she called out but failed to get any response.

Flaky turned away from the counter and figured she'd go and grab her comic. She approached the pile just before the display facing out the window and took a copy. She returned back to the counter and waited, maybe they were in the bathroom. Flaky watched the clock with several minutes passing by. She briefly considered simply leaving the money on the counter and leaving when she noticed a faint sound from the back of the room, it sounded like music. Flaky looked to the end of the store to see a door in the right corner of the room. She took her comic and made her way to the back of the room with the sound growing clearer and more prominent as she went. She knocked when she made it to the door but there was no response. Another knock came to the same conclusion. Flaky considered weather or not to open the door until the thought of someone being in trouble entered her thoughts. Her face shifted to a look of surprise and horror and she slowly reached for the door. Images of monsters leaping out from behind the door at her flashed in her head making her hesitate. She closed her eyes and let her hand fly to the door knob and swing it open. She shrieked a little bit before opening her eyes. The room appeared just as unremarkable as the shop when it came to things out of the ordinary, this room seemed to be a break room or something of that nature. She noticed the source of the music on a desk and it was indeed a radio. She peered around the room nervously to see if anybody was in there. If she had any doubts about her paranoia this time they would be un warranted as she did find someone in there.

Flaky gasped when she seen him, the blue moose Lumpy laying on a couch. She observed him for a moment but showed no signs of movement. Her legs carried her closer to him while her head wanted to turn and leave. When she reached his side she extended her hand and poked him, but to no results. She reached out her hand again and began shaking him gently.

"I-It's time to w-wake up Lumpy" flaky said with a shaky voice.

The moose however didn't respond. She shook him a bit harder then slowly pressed her fingers to his neck. She felt no pulse. Flaky shrieked in horror and fled from the store calling desperately for help. The streets however were just as barren and quiet as they had been all day. Flaky looked through the windows of whatever shops she passed as well as wherever she recalls people hanging out. There was nothing however and she slowed down to a stop. She observed her surroundings and the surrounding silence actually began to make her grow concerned, where was everybody. Did they all take a vacation? That thought was quickly taken down as she already knew Lumpy was dead. He was usually the one who took them all on vacations. She ran through a couple more thoughts but each one seemed implausible, unless they decided not to let her in on things which was a very uncomfortable thought. What she was able to figure out though is that nobody was going to hear to her cries for help. She took one last glance around her position but seen nothing noteworthy and decided to head back home. At that moment she realized that she still had the magazine clutched in her now sweaty paw. She looked at it and found herself compelled to open it when the fact that she had forgotten to pay for it surfaced in her head. She felt sick to her stomach at that thought and made her way back to the store to pay for it.

As Flaky left the store for the second time she recalled yet another thing, she couldn't go home right now because she was supposed to baby sit Cub today. With the confusion she was experiencing today it was good to have a little bit of structure to it anyway. She left the store and made her way towards Pop's house. She was happy at the thought of seeing Cub, his innocence would definitely clear up her now stale mood. She carried her comic in her hand, babysitting would also serve as a good opportunity to read it. When she arrived she knocked on the door. She stood before it waiting for a response but none came. The memory of the similar occurrence at the book store flashed in her mind, griping her heart once again. She stepped away from the door, not wanting to walk into the same scene as last time. Still, if there was trouble she had to at least be sure everyone was ok. She reached her hand out and opened the door.

The inside of the house was again, unremarkable and she could see nobody. Flaky stepped quietly inside and shut the door behind her.

"Hello?" Flaky called out.

She received no answer however.

"Pop? Cub? I-is anyone here?" Flaky called again.

There was still no response which tortured the dreadfully concerned Flaky. She made her way into the kitchen and called out again but got nothing. She repeated this process in every room she entered and decided to go up stairs. Her first targets were the bedrooms, the thought of Lumpy's corpse on the couch coupled with the memories of how she found him led her to believe they had somehow met a similar fate. Flaky made her way to Pop's room as it was the closest one to her. She took a deep breath and swung it open. Her eyes cased the room until they fell to the bed. Sure enough there was pop still covered in his blankets.

"P-pop" Flaky said from the door way, but nothing happened.

Flaky slowly made her way near him but instead of trying to shake him awake Flaky's hand went straight for his neck. Just as she had feared, there was no pulse. Flaky backed away horrified and began looking around the room for anything that may have caused this, carbon monoxide maybe? She left Pop's corpse and made her way back out into the up stairs hallway. She hurried to a small device on the wall, a CO2 detector. The numbers were fine however and it seemed to be functioning. Flaky left it alone and hurried to cubs room. As she charged through the door she nearly fell on the numerous toys littering the floor. She navigated her way over to Cub's crib who also appeared to be asleep. Tars welled in the porcupine's eyes when she noticed he still wore his innocent and carefree smile. With a shaky hand she felt his neck for a pulse and just as she predicted, there was none. She backed away, gasping a small tearful gasp then whimpered, biting down on her shaking bottom lip. She closed her eyes, turned around, and left the room shutting the door behind herself. She dragged herself back home. The pleasant feeling from this nice day was long gone, she felt heartbroken and lonely. All she carried with her was her comic which she looked at and wiped her tears away with her arm. She figured she'd just go home and read it. There was nothing left for her today.

She arrived at her front door after that quiet and sullen walk. She opened her door and made her way to the freezer. She removed a pack of hot pockets and prepared them for the microwave. As she waited for them to heat she figured she might at least try to call somebody. She first called Cuddles but much as she expected only got his goofy answering machine message. Next she tried Toothy and again only got the answering machine. Petunia's call was much the same. They couldn't all be dead, could they? Flaky gave up trying to call anybody and took her hot pockets into the living room. As she ate them she opened her comic and began to read. The comic was about a young male wolf by the name of Baxter Roe. The story took place in a small town inspired by Happy Tree Town. Baxter had a few friends but was underappreciated by other members in town. He also had to deal with a great deal as he tried to figure himself out. the comic usually leads into some endeavor that expands into the next few issues where Baxter must overcome himself and his ridicule to help save everyone from some form of disaster.

It was a comic usually aimed at younger audiences but to Flaky it meant so much more. Whenever she read a new issue she felt less alone and admired his courage in the face of danger to save people. Flaky could only wish she had such a power.

A smile spread across the little porcupine's face as she read about Baxter finally saving everyone from a flooded cave. Cuddles would laugh at her right now if he was here she thought but kept on reading until the conclusion where Baxter was thanked but the truest of his exploits go unnoticed. Flaky always teared when his latest adventure ended, and knew that in the next issue he would be the same old Baxter again, underappreciated by everyone. She closed the comic and rested it on the coffee table.

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully. Flaky simply watched TV, ate dinner, then some ice cream, then made her way upstairs to prepare for bed.

After a thorough tooth brushing session Flaky slipped on a silky smooth night gown. She had always loved how soft it felt against her fur. It was a gift from Cuddles for her birthday. It was beyond difficult to find such a nice gown that was also quill proof. She figured it would help her get through the night after such a bizarre day. Surely enough a short while after she shut her eyes, the dreams came.

[Well that's it for chapter 3, figured I'd give you something to think about before chapter 4. I hope you enjoyed because things will only be growing from here on out. R&R and I'll see you all later]


	4. Christmas Doom

[Hello readers, it's been awhile, mostly because I've sort of been taking a break, working on HTF pretty much primarily has left me needing one. I have been getting back into the grove and should be updating more in the future, i also do not plan on quitting on any of my stories. for now, here's chapter 4 of Flaky in the Dreamscape, enjoy]

Flaky found herself standing in a cozy room, dimly lit by a fire in the fire place. Flaky scratched her head, confused as to how she had gotten here. She felt the soft carpet beneath her feet and upon examining the room, she seemed to almost recognize it. Was this Pop's living room? Above the flickering fire place hung a series of stockings. And in the bottom right corner stood a proud Christmas tree adorned wonderfully. Flaky wandered her way over to a red couch and carefully sat down. The sight of the house adorned with Christmas decorations confused her, especially since she'd just been here only a few hours ago.

Sitting there alone on the couch she scanned over the room once again. Her eyes however fixed on the stockings above the fire place. One red Cub, another, Pop, and another, Ma. Flaky was now certain that she was a Pop's house. Flaky felt a tear come to her eye, remembering the corpses that greeted her here on her last visit. She immediately wanted to leave, but the fact that she was here in the first place confused her greatly. Instead of leaving, she stood up and made her way over to the stockings. The one that read Ma seemed to stand out, a woman who Flaky had met only once, her fate was a mystery but she seemed to have just disappeared over night. Flaky didn't bother to ask why this was here, she was plenty confused already. She looked to her left into the kitchen and to her relief there stood a familiar figure, pop worked over the oven baking cakes and other sweets. Flaky had never seen him doing something like this before, and succeeding at it. Before she entered the room however Cub appeared around the corner and entered the living room.

A wide smile appeared over Flaky's red face at the sight of the little bear alive and well.

"Hello Cub" said Flaky with a smile.

Cub stopped in his tracks and looked towards Flaky. The bear smiled along with the porcupine making his way over and giving her a hug. Flaky returned it happily. And sat down with him.

"What are you and Pop doing? It's a bit early to celebrate Christmas isn't it?" Flaky asked.

Cub stared at her and laughed, pointing out towards his father.

"You wanna go get some cake?" Flaky asked.

Cub nodded with a laugh as the porcupine stood up. As she took his hand however sub spoke.

"Ma!" he said excitedly.

"Huh?" Flaky replied as she followed Cub's gaze.

It was faint but she could see a dim black silhouette opening the front door. As it did this Flaky realized it was snowing. Flaky almost couldn't believe it. When the silhouette made it's way through the door it shut and immediately after it sounded as if a fierce storm had begun. Cub continuously tugged Flaky's arm, trying to move towards the front door.

"Oh don't worry Cub, I'm sure she'll be back. Besides it sounds like it's storming, we shouldn't go out there" said Flaky.

Cub continued to tug on her, his cheery demeanor seemed to change as he seemed to tug harder.

"Come on Cub, we can go have some sweets while we wait for her" said Flaky.

The porcupine's words seemed to reach him and he stopped tugging, complying with Flaky. The two made their way into the kitchen where there seemed to be even more sweets than before. Flaky sat Cub down beside herself.

"Please, help yourself" said Pop as he sat across from them at the table.

"Thank you" said Flaky, taking some of the sweets and serving some to Cub before she began to eat.

To her surprise, Pop's baking was wonderful, not anything like she'd eaten of his before. She gladly finished her teat and took another, enjoying every bite. This, as well as the ambience brought on a wonderfully cheery feel. Flaky didn't care why they were celebrating Christmas, she was feeling great… that is, before she felt a dizzying sensation and the room distorted. For a moment Pop seemed to fade in a black zig zag along with the food, that and the room became shrouded in a fierce dark purple flash.

It only lasted for a moment though and the room returned to normal. Flaky's heart skipped a beat at the sudden flash of craziness… yet, it felt almost familiar. She turned to check on Cub who was no longer at his seat, she didn't know when he took off but she immediately looked to the front door which had been opened and snow was blowing through fiercely. None of it seemed to hit the floor though. Flaky looked to Pop who seemed completely oblivious to everything as he ate.

"Pop. Where did Cub go?" Flaky asked.

Pop however didn't respond and continued to eat. she knew where he had gone but was hoping pop realized it as well. He seemed to oblivious to it all and instead of questioning it she ran towards the door and stared outside.

The raging storm immediately struck the porcupine with fear and her heart raced… still, cub was out there, she had to find him. She didn't want to see him die again. Flaky swallowed her fear and rushed outside into the dark and stormy element. he began shivering fiercely with both cold and fear. Her eyes wander all over, searching for the bear. She even attempted to call his name but to no avail. She hurried outward looking for signs of him wherever she could. The blinding storm made it nearly impossible to locate him. She found the road and began moving along it, hoping Cub was smart enough to use it as well. There was nothing however, aside from the raging snow storm and darkness. Doubt found it's way into her heart but she pressed onward, desperate to locate him. As it was, she noticed something, a distortion in the snow. She ran up to it and to her relief it was her target, barely conscious in the snow and constantly muttering Ma. Flaky quickly picked up the small animal and held his frozen body close to hers. With him in her arms she felt a sense of relief as she stared outwards. Something about staring over the dark and empty horizon unsettled her, almost as if there was something waiting out there for someone to tread into it's borders. Flaky hesitated with nervousness for a moment before returning to Cub's house via the road.

Flaky opened the closet immediately after entering the house and pulled out a blanket to wrap Cub in. afterwards she placed him a distance from the fire and sat beside him, listening to him mutter Ma several times.

Was that really her? Why did she leave in the storm? It seemed clear why Cub wanted to go after her so badly, Flaky couldn't remember the last time she had seen her, Cub must've been desperate for it… still, he was back home and safe. Flaky still felt odd however, yet, it was like she had experienced this before. Flaky chose to sit beside Cub until the night ended and morning finally came. Despite the fury of the storm picking up, to the point where it shook the house like a monster trying to tear it down. She sat beside him and protected him until a blinding flash of light emanated from Cub and the room disappeared around her.

Flaky drifted in the white for a moment, confused before the grassy ground appeared beneath her, a terrain all to familiar to her. She was again at the farm, and it felt just like it had the last time. She knew how this would go. She looked to the barn that had been her grave every time she had been in this strange place. The same compulsion she had before to enter that barn surfaced again., her mind said no but her heart said yes. She denied herself thinking that maybe it could be different this time. She doubted it but she followed her gut anyway and made it to the barn. She didn't inspect the place as much as she had done her first time, it looked very much the same anyway. She moved a bit quicker to the center of the barn than she had last time and noticed the same tiny feather that tipped her off before. This time however she didn't respond to the tiny cheap behind her aside from glancing over her shoulder. This time however the horde appeared immediately. this thwarted her plan of running out of the front doors immediately and instead she screamed and rushed to a door at the opposite end of the room. She could hear hundreds of cheeps and tiny pattering feet behind her. Without looking back she swung the door open and entered it only to arive at a dead end filled with farming tools. She turned to the chicks that had gathered at the door and backed away slowly as they too their time approaching her.

The porcupine suddenly felt herself slip however and get impaled on a pitch fork. Seizing their opportunity the chicks dove on her devouring her alive and she struggled in vain to avoid the same gory death that she had met before. After the surging pain took over Flaky's vision went white and she awoke in her bed. This time however she had avoided urination, much to her relief and stepped out of bed.

The porcupine made her way down stairs intent on preparing breakfast but the events of last night fresh in her head. It had been two nights like this, she found herself in a strange location with no way of knowing how she had gotten there. Were they really dreams? Everything felt so real in them. She really couldn't figure out what else they could have been.

Flaky reached into the freezer and removed a breakfast sandwich from it. She then retrieved a plate and placed them in the microwave. While her food heated she decided to try and call the others. She remembered Nutty from the previous night and decided to call him. There was no answer however, not un common for him but she had a hunch as to the reason. She called Petunia, Giggles, Flippy, Cuddles, then Handy out of desperation but to no avail. She knew in her heart that today would be just like yesterday, everyone was dead. Flaky couldn't know why this was, despite the town's gruesome reality it has never been like this before and Flaky felt a tear form just as her food finished.

After she ate her breakfast she thought about the dreams she had been having, they've never been like that before, so vivid… maybe even real… maybe she was dreaming now? Flaky looked around, it didn't feel like a dream, even the ones she had been having lately. Everything seemed to be how it was supposed to be, and she wasn't the least bit confused… with her surroundings anyway.

Now that she thought about it, she realized that these odd deaths seemed to occur at the same time she started having these odd dreams. Even stranger, was that despite all of her friends dieing she seemed to always remain alive… maybe it was a coincidence, two days just wasn't enough to tell her anything on the subject. Then her dream last night came to mind, how she held Cub and kept him safe. This made her want to see him. She knew he was probably dead and she didn't want to see his corpse again. Still, an entire day of being alone. She really didn't have anything better to do. She sighed and left the house, her face was a clear tell as to how she was feeling and the quiet and empty streets did nothing to alleviate that. She stopped by Petunia's house on the way and knocked on the door just for the heck of it but as she knew would be the case, there was no response. She didn't bother to enter since she knew she'd only come across a corpse, heck, maybe it's just obsession bringing her out here in the first place.

Flaky continued on her lonely hike to Pop's house and came to the front door. A familiar sight thanks to last night's dream. She knocked on the door but as she knew, nothing happened. As she turned away however he was able to make out a faint thump inside the house. Flaky turned back to the house, surprised to hear what she heard, was it just her imagination? Regardless, she found herself compelled to check. She approached the door and slowly opened it. She seen nothing when she entered however but searched for the area where she thought she heard the sound.

As she made her way to the living room she found the source, and the sight was beyond welcome. There on the floor sat Cub, playing with various things he found around the house.

"Cub?" said Flaky in disbelief.

Cub turned to her and smiled widely as he stood up and made his way over to give her a hug. When his arms wrapped around her waist she was overcome with happiness. She kneeled down immediately and wrapped him tightly in a hug. She didn't care why he was ok, all that mattered now was that he was.

After the prolonged hug she remembered Pop. She suddenly felt weak with worry and found herself compelled to check on him, if Cub was ok, maybe Pop was to. She told Cub to wait for her as she made her way up stairs. Pop didn't seem to be around the house, but he definitely had not gone out. Terrible father or no, he always kept his son by his side. She cracked the door open a bit and peered into Pop's room. She noticed something in his bed, likely it was him. If that were the case then he most likely was already dead as well. Her vitals check confirmed this and she left the room feeling some sense of dread… still, cub was alive. With a dead father she'd have to take him back to her house for now.

"Hey Cub, you wanna come to auntie Flaky's and play?" Flaky asked.

Cub looked up to her and smiled as he waddled over to her and to her hand.

The two made their way back to Flaky's house, she chose not to make any extra stops on the way and headed straight into the house. Once here she began mulling over the situation. Cub was alive, it was pretty clear that only he and Flaky were. She couldn't seem to shake her mind of how odd this all was however and sat down on her couch and gave Cub some toys to play with.

Everyone was dead just yesterday including Cub. Today, it was just Cub. The deaths occurring at the same time as her odd dreams kept her thinking that they had something to do with each other, but what was it. She didn't have much to go off of however and that fact was more than enough to frustrate her. She honestly wanted to do anything but think of such a nerve racking situation and turned on her television to block it out.

The day passed by a bit more dull than usual but at least Flaky now had company. She ate dinner with Cub, bathed herself, then Cub, and put him to bed. Flaky slipped on her gown and laid awake in her bed. If she fell asleep again, would she have another of those crazy dreams? If she had another, would it help her to figure out what was happening around here? She took note that Cub had been in her dream last night, could that have been a clue? No, Nutty was also in a dream but he's still dead. Flaky decided it would be best to get to sleep. Perhaps the answer would come to her in time.

[well, there we have it, the plot thickens. Anyway I am also working on a story on my deviant art page. It is a huge crossover where I'm using people's OC's from all kinds of fandoms. I'm having a contest to help me determine a few important things on there but I mainly just want to work with OC's from all kinds of fandoms. Everyone who enters will be involved weather or not you win. Or even if you don't want to enter the contest at all but want to submit. Anyway, if that interests you and you have a deviant art ptofile then stop by there and fill out the info and enter the contest if you would. if you don't have an account there the you can PM me here. Anyway, don't put anything relating to that in the reviews please :D ok folks, R&R and I'll see you later]


	5. The Museum

[hey guys, it's been a while… again. How's it going? Seems like there's a lot of new faces around here now but not as many old ones. Anyway, welcome! I've been trying to get back into the grove of writing but various issues such as pet deaths prevented me from really getting back to this. I hope to update most of my stories but I just need motivation for a few of them. This story is one of my favorites that I'm working on though so I found myself compelled to update it. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy it, that's what I'm writing it for after all]

Flaky awoke, this time, in a dark building with wide hallways lined wall to wall with numerous objects that flaky had never even seen before. She had been laying face down, belly atop a cold stone floor, polished and smoothed to a mirror sheen. Pressing her paws onto the floor, she slowly pushed herself up, brushing against a red velvet rope behind her. Turning around and looking up revealed that it was surrounding a large marble statue of a bear. Below it was a plaque with a Name written onto it that read Gregory Miller. The statue didn't look at all familiar and there sat another plaque nearby with more writing. It was likely describing the statue but Flaky's attention was diverted to more prominent issues like how she had gotten here. This being the third time that this had happened in three nights, Flaky didn't find herself quite so concerned.

The back of her mind was again telling her that this was a dream but her sensory reception said otherwise. It was just as clear and consistent as each of the others she had previously experienced. With no real answers, Flaky had begun to peer around the area. From what she could gather, she was in a museum and night had fallen upon it. Her heart skipped a beat when the thought occurred to her that she was inside a closed museum, likely looking like she was breaking and entering. Her eyes scanned the area once again for any signs that guards may be patrolling the area, but alas, it was silent.

From the looks of it, this wasn't just an ordinary museum. It was more like the kind one could find when visiting the capitol. Large buttressed ceilings with intricate designs and wide hallways with countless historical items. Though most of it was a mystery to her, many items on display here seemed like tools of some sort. Despite all of that, Flaky couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity, like she'd seen this place before, but the memory was vague. With little else to go on in this area, Flaky chose to move on, maybe pinpoint where she was.

The halls remained quiet as she walked forward, though she remained vigilant as she didn't want to find herself in trouble. As she moved she noticed a number of adjoining chambers with specialized exhibits. She searched the walls for a map, or something to guide her but merely came upon a large sign hanging on a set of chains that read "Tools". Flaky scratched her head at the vagueness of the name but realized she wasn't finding much help. A bit desperate for help, Flaky found herself tempted to shout for it but kept quiet just in case. She did manage to take notice of a desk in a room to her right, a large room from what she could tell. With little question, Flaky made her way towards it. The desk was large and round with what appeared to be computer monitors atop it. The closer flaky had gotten to it, the more vast the room it was in appeared to be until she reached it to see a glass domed ceiling towering above her. Seeing this made her a bit dizzy but she quickly returned her attention to the desk, then to the rest of the room.

The museum appeared to be at least two floors tall with long, curved staircases to the left and right of the room for higher access. The room its self was round with numerous hallways leading to other parts of the museum. However, the sight Flaky appreciated the most was the large glass door in front leading out of the museum. Not a moment of hesitation was had when Flaky decided to make her way over to it. As she approached it, her right paw extended to meet the handle and gripped it. Of course, when she attempted to move it, it didn't budge. Her confused and worried look quickly became worse as she attempted again to open the door. Then she moved onto another in hopes that it might be open. Unfortunately, it was having none of it. Flaky sighed, with that being about what she was expecting. After taking in her disappointment she pressed her paws against the glass and peered outside. It was indeed dark, very dark, with a few cars parked outside that looked antique. However, as she stared she felt something was off as she began to feel a tinge of another sensation. One that she has been in contact with before. It was the similar feeling of unease that she had experienced in her previous encounter with cub. Looking into the sky, she could see no moon, only an uncomfortable blackness. She suddenly felt like going outside wasn't such a good idea. Instead, she turned back to the desk and made her way towards it. She looked it over silently, inspecting the various items atop it. As she would expect, they were nice and well kept. As she looked over the desk, she noticed a wide space for staff to move through. With nobody around, Flaky hesitantly made her way behind the round desk with still no signs of any guards on patrol.

Flaky turned her attention to the stations in front of her. They did indeed look clean, but perhaps a bit too clean, and aside from essentials, there was little else of note. Still at a loss for information, flaky made her way towards a nearby terminal and attempted to boot it up. She was met with the same blank screen she had already seen. Again disappointed, she backed away from the computer and made her way out from behind the desk. At this point, Flaky was prepared to just sit down and wait to see what would happen, but her constant uneasiness kept her from doing so. Taking a deep breath, Flaky turned and made her way to a section entitled "Egypt" again, the hallway was wide but with an Egyptian theme and relics. Already this seemed like a bad idea. If movies were anything to go on, even the cheesy ones, Egyptian remains were never a good thing. Rethinking her decision, she hurried to the end of the hallway to turn out of it as quickly as she could. Taking her first left into another hallway, she found herself in a section entitled "Art", again, to be baffled by such general names. Something seemed off about it though, almost as if she couldn't manage to focus on the word. Regardless, she made sure to put the Egypt exhibit far behind her.

Continuing forward, through a passage filled with paintings, Flaky began to wonder just how massive this place was, and if she'd ever find a way out of it. The lack of guards around the area was also unsettling, she may not have wanted to see them now but it was a museum filled with priceless artifacts, she couldn't help but feel like she should have seen some by now. After such a long period of silence, the sound of something shattering in the area ahead of her sent a shock down her spine. With legs quivering with surprise, flaky took cover behind a pedestal with a bust upon it and stared forward through the darkened hallway. Though the sounds were few and only slight, Flaky could swear she heard activity up ahead. Though tempted to investigate, Flaky found herself too afraid to move. Then the thought of how lost she was crossed her mind and the fact that something was finally happening compelled her to move forward with the chance that it might be the answer she was looking for.

Slowly dragging her feet out from under herself, Flaky slowly rose up and tiptoed forward. As she needed a corner leading into another hallway, she could make out slight laughter and to a remarkable relief, light emanating from a flashlight. Slowly she crept forward and cautiously peered around the corner. As she had hoped, or feared, two figures appeared before her. Both of them raccoons of similar green colorations and appearances. The only distinguishing features between them being that one wore a fedora and the other didn't. Flaky of course recognized them, the one with the hat, Shifty, and the one without the hat Lifty. As it was, the laughter was coming from them as they stuffed numerous valuable items in a bag. Around them was a pile of expensive looking items, broken glass, more bags, and two large carts for carrying it all. Flaky gasped at the sight of the duo ransacking the museum but it seemed to raise even more questions. Flaky couldn't help but wonder if these two might be her only hope. She slowly leaned out from behind her position and watched the two, contemplating weather or not she should talk to them. However, it wasn't much longer before the decision was made for her. As Flaky watched them the duo suddenly turned to her and shifty quickly shined a flashlight at her. Flaky reacted by pulling herself back behind the corner and attempting to scramble away. With a lead pipe in hand Lifty rounded the corner as his brother gathered the loot. Lifty raised the pipe up high prepared to strike the porcupine before stopping.

"What!? Flaky!? What are you doing here?" Lifty asked.

Flaky with her hands raised prepared to take the hit, opened her eyes to see Lifty looking down at her.

"Wha? I'm uhh…" Stuttered Flaky without a clue as to what to say.

"You aint with the cops are ya!?" Lifty asked with his weapon raised.

"Ahh, no, no I'm n-not, don't hurt me" she said with her eyes shut tight.

"Well, why are ya here then? This aint no place for you" said Lifty.

Flaky took a moment to compose herself, though only slightly.

"I… I don't know… it's just weird" said Flaky.

"Jeez, that was Flaky? You had us go'n for noth'n!" growled Shifty, loading up the last of the loot.

"You should probably get out of here. Who knows when the cops are gonna show" said Lifty.

"I-I tried, the door was locked and I don't know my way around this place" Flaky explained.

"That so. Should we trust her Shifty?" Lifty asked.

"Yea, sure. She aint a threat to us anyway. Well Flaky, looks like you's only get'n outa here if you stick with us. Just do what we tells at and don't screw up" said Shifty.

Immediately Flaky grew uncomfortable with this and it showed in her expression. Helping these two commit a robbery just didn't sit right, even for her own benefit. Then she recalled the awkwardness of everything she had experienced so far, nothing seemed right with where she was. Baffled in the moment, Flaky managed an impulsive response.

"Yes, ok… umm… can either of you tell me where we are?" Flaky asked.

"A museum, duh. Quit yap'n and help us move before the cops show up" Ordered Lifty.

Flaky gasped at the thought of getting into trouble and peered around as she rose to her feet. Of course, the recollection of having seen nothing that even vaguely looked like security calmed her down a bit.

"But, there isn't anyone here, at least I didn't see anyone… did you guys set off an alarm or something?" Flaky asked, not hearing anything.

"Heh, no, we're too good for that. Cops are always show'n up one way or another so we'd better move" said Lifty.

Flaky watched as Lifty returned to shifty and couldn't help the nagging suspicion that something seemed a bit odd about even them. Still, Flaky moved with them as they pushed the carts along the exhibits tossing whatever they could grab into the carts. It wasn't long before Shifty directed Flaky to Lifty's cart so the hatless raccoon could loot faster. Flaky reluctantly obeyed and couldn't shake the guilty and slightly horrified look she developed from helping them. She scanned the dark ceilings in the event that there would be cameras somewhere along them. She didn't see a single one however.

"Umm… how do you plan on getting out of here? The entrance is locked and I cant think of any more doors leading outside" said Flaky.

"You worry too much. We're gonna make our way through the basement tunnels under the building and pop out outside of town" Shifty explained.

Flaky's expression grew even more worrisome at the thought of going into the basement. Then suddenly, Flaky made out a sound from behind them, the sound of something hitting the floor and it was too distant for it to have fallen out of the cart.

"Damnit, they're here. Alright Lifty, you know the drill. We find the nearest maintenance tunnel entrance and get the hell out of here" Shifty ordered in a slight whisper.

"Gotchya, you here that Flaky? Just follow us" said Lifty before the two turned down yet another hallway.

Struggling with the cart, Flaky managed to turn and follow them. She could hear hurried footsteps behind her and the sound of more objects colliding with the floor.

"Are you sure those are police? Why are they being so careless with the museum's property?" Flaky asked.

"Cause they're mindless brutes, who really cares what they do. We're almost out of here" said Lifty, seeming a bit more composed than expected.

The group continued running, once again turning right down yet another hallway. As it was, it was the hallway entitled Tools and it wasn't long before they passed the statue Flaky had awoken in front of. Flaky of course recognized the area but was now moving in the opposite direction that she had when she was exploring. Her head turned to face the area behind her, the noises growing more numerous but still no sign of the police. Not really wanting to see an entire group of armed officers chasing her, she returned her attention to the front of her. She was soon met with another turn that Lifty and Shifty had taken, this time it was to the left. The cart however was beginning to grow more tiring as she pushed, and the two leading the way didn't seem to have a whole lot of direction. After a run down yet another long hallway and another left turn, flaky was finally able to make out a number of dark shapes closing in on them from behind. It was too dark to make out features and only a couple were carrying flashlights though the light they emitted seemed dim. Lifty and Shifty didn't seem to mind the pursuit as much as they didn't often even seem to glance back at their pursuers. In front of them lied another selection of hallways, right, left, and forward. Lifty and Shifty merely glanced down the right hallway and moved down it. At the very end appeared to be a door with a narrow glass window. Assuming this was a door to the tunnels beneath the museum, Lifty and Shifty charged towards it. As they did so, the front wheel to Shifty's cart snapped and flew off causing the high speed cart to flip throwing Shifty into the air. As it was, Flaky was moving at a similar speed and as Shifty's cart slid in front of her, she failed to stop in time and hit it hard, knocking numerous sacks and loose items out as well as knocking Flaky to the floor.

Flaky shrieked as she fell and hit the ground with a few sacks of heavy items falling onto her and getting impaled onto her quills. Trying to rise up proved to be difficult with the weight pressing down on her. Lifty quickly returned and began to gather whatever loot he could, as did Shifty when he returned to his feet. Flaky dragged herself out from under some of the items but still had a heavy bag on her quills. The twin raccoons didn't pay her much mind as they gathered what they could. To Flaky, it was obvious they likely weren't going to help and attempted to remove the sack. As she did so, a number of dim lights shone down the passage upon the group. Flaky turned her head and finally caught an image of what they were being chased by. As it was, their pursuers were indeed cops, most of them fairly large with dark fur. In their hands were dangerous looking Billy clubs and they had firearms in their holsters. The police didn't hesitate to close in on the group.

"Damnit Shifty, we gotta go. We aint get'n any more!" growled Lifty with two large sacks on his shoulders.

"I know… gah, c'mon. they'll be on top of us" said Shifty as the two began to run.

Flaky stared in horror as she seen she was being left behind.

"No! guys, c'mon! I need your help! Don't leave me!" Flaky shouted in a panic.

The two looked back at her for a moment but did not slow their gait as they neared the door. Flaky's jaw dropped and felt around behind her for the sack. With a push that required as much energy as she could muster, Flaky freed herself from the sack but also pulled out a number of quills from her back in the process. Without hesitation, Flaky hurried onward towards the door. As she neared it, Lifty and Shifty had just managed to pass through it.

"Guys hang on!" she shouted with her right hand outstretched.

The two took a look at her and the numerous officers behind her and without hesitation, slammed the door shut. At the that, the area seemed to bend and distort around her. Flaky ran hard into it and attempted to open the door. When the handle barely budged she looked at the two standing just behind it. They looked back at her and hurried forward.

At that, Flaky burst into tears and struggled to get the door open as officers reached her. Searching around her revealed another exhibit hallway to the left, though narrower than the rest. However, through the window of the door she noticed a number of dim lights shine up at the raccoons. Before they had time to react, a number of violent gunshots could be heard and the raccoons collapsed to the ground.

Immediately, Flaky was hit with a powerful surge of pain in her head and the world around her began to distort. The officers behind her immediately faded into a twisted shadowy mass and eventually, all turned dark.

Flaky began to sail, yet again, through a void of white emptiness for a short time until she landed on something soft. Gradually, the white began to fade into a familiar view. Green grass beneath her and white picket fences all around her gave her an immediate realization of where she was. Yet again, she was on that farm, the empty one she had been visiting in her sleep, again with a nearly un-doubtable realism to it. All around were still the same red buildings of unknown purpose and directly in her path, was the big red barn that continued to beckon her through it's doors.

Against her will, Flaky rose to her feet and began stepping slowly forward. She knew the fate that awaited her within the barn but began to feel like a machine, programmed to march to the same fate over and over again. She turned to a wide open field in the distance. Maybe she'd go that way this time and see what would occur. As she stepped forward her foot froze in mid air. She stared onward then looked down to her feet. She felt as if she was unable to move, like her foot was just not going to move past that point. She could swear that something was there, restricting her movement, yet she felt as if she had control. Something also began to compel her back to the barn, a feeling of being pulled to it. She began to feel sick with her feet still prepared to move elsewhere and gradually placed her foot down. Something was pulling her to the barn, a force beyond which she could understand. A hint of optimism crossed her mind suggesting that maybe it would be different this time, like she might not meet a horrible fate like the last two times. Under extreme reluctance, flaky began to move slowly forward towards the barn, her feet barely making any distance. Gradually she approached the large red doors which she knew would hide the hell that this otherwise serene landscape offered. Taking a deep breath, Flaky slowly extended her paws and opened the doors. As she stepped through the barn, over the bed of straw and dirt beneath her feet, she began to shake. Her eyes moved downward to see exactly what she had feared. The small down feather of a young chick.

Flaky nearly froze up. She was expecting this but it still managed to surprise her. The peeping she caught afterwards almost made her pass out. She wasn't going to look at it though, she knew what was going to happen. Even so, when the peeping became more frequent and numerous she still managed to pick up her speed. Telling herself that she wasn't going to look back at them. Unfortunately, she also found herself in the same trap as last time. At the end of the barn she opened another door and inside was the same tool filled room she had found herself in before. She felt sick again at the memory and beat herself up mentally for not remembering this.

She turned to the sight she knew she was going to see. A massive group of tiny yellow chicks slowly making their way towards her. With nowhere to run she knew there was nothing she could do and only moments later they were upon her. Again, tearing the flesh from her body with their tiny beaks causing Flaky to shriek in pain before her tongue and throat were mauled. After the few moments of severe surging pain the area around her disappeared and her room again flashed in front of her eyes.

Flaky laid in bed for nearly an hour after that staring at the ceiling. The sun had been shining bright in her room which helped to wake her up but the dreams were all that were on her mind. After a while of recollection she then remembered Cub being at her house and was probably in need of care. Shaking the thoughts from her head as best she could, Flaky rose out of the covers and made her way into the living room where Cub had stayed. She noticed him still laying on the couch and the image of his corpse appeared in her head again. She took a step back and watched him for a moment. Was there a chance that he had again died in his sleep. Flaky held her breath and approached the sleeping child with her hand outstretched.

In a moment she realized her fear was unwarranted as Cub's eyes slowly began to open. A smile spread across the young bear's face and Flaky retracted her hand, sighing with relief. Cub then yawned and rolled onto his back. It was then that flaky began to contemplate the fact that cub really needed better sleeping conditions if he was going to be staying with her. Flaky then considered calling some of the others, just to see if they were alive but felt sick with the suspicion that they still wouldn't be. Still, Cub seemed to have pulled through, maybe someone else managed to as well.

Flaky made her way to the phone before anything else and called any random number of someone in town. In this instance, it was Petunia. Of course, she may as well have been calling anyone else because there was nothing but an answering machine.

"Hi, Petunia… umm… it's Flaky… just uh… call me back if you get this message please" said Flaky leaving a message out of desperation before hanging up.

She was then struck with a thought, a long shot but she had to try. After having seen them in her dream last night, she hoped that maybe one of them might pick up. She dialed the phone and waited anxiously for an answer. Any feeling of hope she had immediately retreated with despair as the answering machine picked up. Flaky was simply going to hang up but she felt she'd better leaver a message for them anyway.

"Hey Lifty, Shifty, it's Flaky. I know we don't really talk much but umm… just, give me a call back if you get this please" said Flaky before hanging up.

At this point she didn't actually expect a reply but felt a bit better anyway. Instead of spending more time making calls that she suspected were just going to be met with the same results, she opted to just get Cub squared away. She made her way over to the fridge and retrieved some cold cuts from it for sandwiches. As she began preparing them her gaze shifted to the window. Again, it was bright and sunny with various small critters of all sorts going about their business. She was hoping to, at any moment, catch a glimpse of someone making their way past her house. Sadly, in the time it took to make the sandwiches, there was nothing.

Flaky carried the food into the living room where cub was sitting and gave him a sandwich she had cut into fourths. Cub simply smiled ant took it not wasting much time in starting to eat it. Flaky sat with a mostly blank expression on her face. Normally she'd be deciding how she was going to go about her day right about now but the lack of others in town seemed to drain any motivation she had. Even if she enjoyed a good solitary walk, nothing felt right any more.

Flaky ate her sandwich and peered around the room. There was really nothing to do at this point. Given, there were a handful of things Flaky could think of doing with the lack of people in town, none of them appealed to her. With little else, she figured to best to just get right down to preparing the house for cub. Flaky turned on the television to be met with static, likely due to the station being to the local news usually run by someone in town. Instead, she changed it to a station from outside of town. Something for children. She then rose to her feet and made her way up stairs to her closet. Inside, tucked behind everything else, was a folding cot that she dragged out into her room. After setting it up and throwing some bedding over it, Flaky realized that she didn't really have much at the house to keep Cub entertained. Making her way back down stairs she entered the living room.

"Cub, would you like to go for a walk with me?" Flaky asked.

Cub turned to her and smiled wide before jumping off of the couch and making his way over to her. Turning off the television and taking Cub's hand, the two made their way outside.

The nearly prefect weather only made things more depressing. Flaky couldn't help but think about how many people would be out taking advantage of the day right now. Again, Flaky looked around, anticipating someone running by at any moment. Of course, nothing came of it and the two continued on. It would be pointless to travel anywhere special right now. Given, she could probably afford to go to the store and buy some groceries but, doing so without being able to actually pay anybody didn't sit right with Flaky's conscience. Instead, the two traveled directly to Pop's house, which for Flaky, would make this her third trip in three days. Flaky reached for the door handle but stopped. She knew nobody would answer her but she just felt better about knocking. Not to mention that her being ready to just barge in showed that she was becoming used to the situation and didn't really want that. When there was no response, she and Cub made their way inside. It looked just as it did when she had first been there.

"Okay Cub. I'll be right back. Just stay down here and watch TV" said Flaky turning on the television to the same network she had at her house.

Cub yawned and sat down on the couch while Flaky made her way up stairs. Her first top of course was Pop's room and she cracked the door open. Inside was Pop, still laying in bed. Flaky already knew what happened but found herself curious about something. She made her way into the room and rested her hand on Pop's face. He was still fairly warm, though clearly dead. Still, it brought Flaky relief as she had thought that he might not have returned at all after the previous days. This of course raised the realization in her head that despite everyone being dead every day, she herself has been safe and un touched by the curse… or whatever it was that ravaged the town. Flaky didn't spend much more time there as she turned and left the room, moving towards Cub's. inside she retrieved a small back pack and began to fill it with his various toys. After taking as many as she could, she made her way down stairs and turned off the television.

"Okay Cub, let's go back to my house" said Flaky.

Through yet another yawn, Cub smiled, took her hand, and followed her out of the house.

The walk back was pleasant but wrongly quiet. Flaky's head turned to Cub as she noticed his eyes. They appeared droopy and fatigued. Given he had woken up about an hour or so ago, Flaky found this to be a bit odd. Still, the two returned to the house and Flaky brought the bag up to her room. When she returned to the living room she found Cub asleep on the couch. Without disturbing him, Flaky turned on the television and turned down the volume. Overall, there was really nothing else to do today.

For the rest of the day, Flaky took care of her basic housework and made food for her and Cub. Cub was awake on and off all day but did manage to get some play in. eventually, it began to grow dark outside and Flaky stared out the window. Nothing felt real any more, nobody was around, or even seemed to make it out of bead before dieing. Then the realization hit her. when it got late, she would go to bed. If it was anything like the past three nights, she'd be hit with another nightmare. Flaky again felt sick at the thought and made her way to the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee on the burner. Flaky wasn't going to sleep tonight.

[Okay, this one was definitely longer than the previous chapters, as things develop more in the story you will notice that the chapters do indeed become longer. Hope you guys enjoyed it though and I hope to get more done soon. Anyway, welcome again to all the new folks and I'll see ya whenever!]


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